


JLA - An Inside Look

by AceofEnder



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Original Character(s), commission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25417924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceofEnder/pseuds/AceofEnder
Summary: She had dealt with enough hatred, this was her story, she was the one who got approval for it.  She was the one who got permission from the JLA to do the story.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	JLA - An Inside Look

**Author's Note:**

> TO BE CLEAR, THIS DOES NOT USE NAMES FOR THE HEROES LIKE BRUCE OR DIANA AS IT IS FROM AN OUTSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS A COMMISSION FOR THE VERY SWEET @imashittalkingmushroom ON TUMBLR

“Ma’am, with all due respect this could be our only chance, a chance to see what it’s like firsthand.” A woman huffed out with a slight wave of her hand. She had almond colored skin, standing around 5’6 with ankle boots adding a few extra inches above that, and an ID badge that read the name “Nurain Waterbrooks”. A pale woman from behind a walnut wooden desk let out a rather annoyed sigh. “Brooks.” She began before Nurain cut her off. “That’s not my name.”

The woman behind the desk sighed once more and spoke “I am putting our best foot forward here Nurain, what would you have me do? You’re a good reporter but you don’t hold a candle to the ratings of our other reporters.” “Because I look like this? Because I’m Muslim? Because I’m a woman? So just because he’s more ‘liked’ you would send him on an assignment I’m clearly better for?” Nurain scowled at the woman a bit.

She had dealt with enough hatred, this was her story, she was the one who got approval for it. She was the one who got permission from the JLA to do the story. “Fine you can handle this assignment Waterbrooks, but watch your tone. I understand your frustrations, I went through many of the same ones. But I am still your boss.” The woman waved a hand at Nurain, ushering her away. She felt herself smile a bit at the chance to finally see what it was like, what it was like to be one of them.

The next day. Nurain stood in front of the Hall of Justice with a smile, gripping her fingers around her pen as she walked through the door. “Hello?” She called out upon entering the hall, looking around her. “You must be the reporter, oh? I could have sworn the lady on the phone mentioned a male reporter.” She turned to see the voice belonging to a tall man with black hair, Superman. 

She opened her mouth to speak before a tall woman walked up next to Superman and elbowed him in the stomach. “Hush, we needed another woman around here!” She chuckled upon speaking, Nurain recognized her as Wonder Woman. “She’s a lot taller in person.” She thought to herself, before regaining her composure and clearing her throat. She held up her ID badge and spoke in a collected voice. “Nurain Waterbrooks, I’m the reporter you accepted to do a story on what it’s actually like to be a hero?”

They looked at each other before nodding and leading her along, occasionally making a comment on parts of the hall. She walked alongside Wonder Woman, before tapping the taller woman on the shoulder. She turned with a strong smile and inquired what Nurain needed. “I need to ask a few questions about heroes, may I start by asking you?”

The black-haired woman nodded quickly and gestured for her to ask. “What’s the easiest part of being a hero? I know there are millions of people who look up to all of you, me included. There’s got to be something different, something simpler, right?” Nurain asked with a raised eyebrow, holding a pen and a notepad to scribble her answers to be written later on. The taller one of the two simply chuckled to herself, thinking on the subject for a moment.

“I would advise you to ask others, but the easiest part for me?” Wonder Woman smiled down at her a bit. “The easiest part is the want to fight and protect those who cannot. The battle for those who are innocent.” Her smooth voice answered the question with a fond yet strong smile on her face. Nurain smiled and began to scribble down notes on what the taller woman had said. She kept her eyes down on the paper as she wrote before walking into something rough.

“Ah, what was?” She cut herself off upon seeing The Flash, with a small smile on his face. “Woah there, slow down.” He told her while chuckling at his own joke but continued after a brief period. “But uh, who are you?” Even with the mask she could easily see his face twist in confusion. “That, is Miss Waterbrooks, from The Gotham Globe. A reporter here to interview each of us separately, to see what it’s like to be as she puts it a’hero’.”

The words came from a low, gruff voice, belonging to a tall man behind her. She looked at him up and down for a moment before voicing her opinion. “Well, you’re definitely Batman, aren’t you? Not very subtle here in broad daylight huh?” She paused for a moment upon hearing a stifled laugh coming from Superman and an open chuckle from the other two, realizing she had said it aloud. “…you should probably wear a different suit in the daytime.” She added on with a slight grin.

Batman gave an unamused look, though, no one could tell his expression was any different. “Hm, well I’ll take that into account Miss Waterbrooks.” He grunted out before gesturing for the others to lead her along to the next room. “Why did you decide to become a hero, or a vigilante?” Nurain asked him bluntly. He remained silent for a moment before answering her question quietly.

“I became Batman because there were far too many people losing their families. No one should have to go through that, and that is exactly what I strive to stop.” She looked at him with subtle surprise in her eyes, writing down his answer on the paper after she regained composure. 

Upon clicking her pen after she finished writing, they entered a room with a large table. Sitting at it was Green Lantern, who looked bored out of his mind, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. “Hello” She nodded towards the three, as the others took a seat at the table for her questioning to begin. Martian Manhunter nodded at her as an extra chair moved towards the table instantly.

She sat down and set her pad of paper down onto the table, pulling out her pen. She began to ask each of them questions, eventually asking them a question as a whole. “Why do you work together as the Justice League?” A handful of them exchanged looks and considered what answer to give to Nurain.

The first to respond was Batman, who’s answer was simple, but it got his point across. “We became the Justice League because we didn’t have a choice.” Wonder Woman nodded but added her own idea to the conversation. “What he means to say, is that there are many lives at risk every day. The Justice League works to save as many of those lives as we can.” Aquaman agreed and thought about what to say on the matter. “We do what we can to protect all citizens, but this doesn’t always seem to be what people think.”

She wrote down each of their answers before raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?” She asked, slight confusion lacing her voice. “People see what the want to see, some of us are seen as a positive pillar for humanity. Others are shunned for their differences.” Martian Manhunter addressed her question. She frowned for a moment but understood what he meant, she wasn’t exactly new to blatant discrimination.

Superman was the next to speak on the topic. “When you save a child, when you get everyone out of a building, when you do something the people see as worthwhile. That’s when they will love you. But if you mess up once, their standards will be far too high for you to come down from. They begin to see you as monsters.” She felt guilt build up in her mind, but she kept her pen in hand and wrote down everything she needed.

Green Lantern crossed his arms for a moment and scowled a bit. “The people continue to see as machines. Like we’re not human,” He looked around the table for a moment and cleared his throat “Like we’re not people.” He corrected. The Flash waved his hand towards her quickly and wrapped up with a final detail. “Look, we don’t appreciate being treated like non-stop machines without emotions. But we also don’t do it for praise or for thank yous. We do it to protect the people who don’t have the ability to protect themselves.”

She nodded for a moment while grabbing her pen and noting the JLA’s statements on heroes. A shrill scream called from outside the building, sharp and in pain, the voice screamed out for help. Each member burst up from the table and exited the building, Nurain ran after on foot slowly compared the heroes before her. She ran through the entrance to the Hall, seeing a crowd of shouting citizens running by.

She stopped a man running by quickly and asked him what the commotion was about. The man scowled at his and shook her arm off his shoulder angrily “There’s a fire over there, now get your filthy hands off me.” He spat the words out at her. She nodded for a moment and ran towards the building, hearing a woman yell from behind her “Hey! Why’re you running towards the fire?” She simply shrugged in response and ran towards the blazing building.

Nurain stopped in front of the buildings to see the fire spreading, people were being rushed out of the building by each of the heroes in a different area. “You need to save my son!” A woman shouted from the ground, scowling as Wonder Woman handed her the small boy with a cut on his face. “Be more careful, he got hurt! Aren’t you supposed to be heroes?” She scoffed as she flashed a small smile with an apology.

A man yanked his puppy from The Flash’s arms while barking out at the hero. “Took you long enough, aren’t you supposed to be The Flash? Tch.” She watched as him simply smiled and ran back into the building, listening to others shouting. She watched as Green Lantern helped a group of people down from the tip of the fiery building, only to receive a single thanks in return. She watched as Aquaman and Superman finally finished putting out the fires in and around the buildings.

The next morning Nurain sat her desk, with a laptop and a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. Her green eyes focused on the screen as her fingers tapped away, the clicking of keys filling her office with noise. The page starting with a simple statement that filled her mind.

“GOTHAM GLOBE  
Author: Nurain Waterbrooks

Every day we see these heroes that call themselves the Justice League of America, and we treat them as though they’re invincible. But more so, we treat them as though they’re expendable.”


End file.
